Summer tour opens in Washington state
By Gareth Von Kallenbach
HLN Today reporter
The hardest working band in show business, Huey Lewis and the News, brought their act to the Chateau Ste Michelle Winery in Woodinville Washington.
The band was kicking off the first show of the summer concert season at the winery and fans could not have asked for better weather with warm air and blue skies throughout the evening show. Local artist Kelly Bradley attempted to hold the attention of the audience with her 25-minute set as the crowd listened patiently for the main show.
The band arrived on stage backed by a three-piece horn section and Huey was clad in a blue suit with a black shirt. The show opened with "Not here for long time, but here for a good time" from the groups latest album Plan B and kept the set rocking with "My other woman's got another man," "The Heart of Rock and Roll," "Doing it all for my Baby" and "The Power of Love."
Huey had a solid interaction with the crowd and had some nice comments about people in the crowd and the area. At a recent concert in the area, the vocalist brought his father on stage and mentioned that they live nearby so it was obvious that he has affection for the area.
One highlight was the Spirit of Washington dinner train interrupting Huey as he introduced a song by rolling past the field on its way to the depot. Unflustered, the ever-professional Huey brought out his harmonica and produced a song of the rails tune that fit the scene perfectly, and could not have been done any better if it was planned.
The hits did not stop flowing as Lewis and the band were solid in their performance and easily sounded at their best. The band included their custom acapella set that shows just how gifted these musicians are as Lewis and original news members, Colla, Gibson, and Hopper joined him for a rousing version of "60-Minute Man" and a calypso version of "Under the Boardwalk."
The News then cranked things up with a high-energy version of the Bruce Hornsby penned "Jacobs Ladder" from their album Fore and a rocking rendition of "Heart and Soul" from their breakout album Sports. The band closed out the show with "I want a new Drug" and returned for two encores that contained five songs and a new version of "Do you believe in Love."
The band ended the night with the song that encapsulates the band, "Working for a Living" and sent the crowd home with a smile. The audience had members of various ages. People in their 40's and 50's were singing and dancing along with people in their 20's and 30's as well as some teens proving once and for all that not only does music bring people together but that good music can span generations. It seems that many in the audience were bringing their children with them as well.
Huey Lewis and the news proved once again that they are solid musicians who not only enjoy playing with one another, but also deliver the goods without resorting to gimmicks or mailing in their live shows. It would have been nice to hear some of the hits from Hard at Play like "Couple Days Off," and "It Hit Me Like a Hammer," or the current hits "I'm Not in Love with you (but I'm working on it)" and "Let her go and Star Over" from Plan B but in the light of so many hits at their disposal, some songs have to be omitted to fit within the show's timeframe.
In summary, make sure to catch the band when they come to your area as many younger artists could take some lessons from these time-tested artists about how to put on a show and what it takes to last over 25 years in show business.
Setlist Not here for long time, but here for a good time My Other Woman's got another man The Heart of Rock and Roll Doing it all for my Baby The Power of Love Plan B If this is it Perfect World 60-Minute Man Under the Boardwalk Jacob's Ladder Heart and Soul It's Alright I Want a New Drug Do You Believe in Love I'm not perfect, but I'm perfect for you Hip to be Square Stuck with You
